Wild Child

7

asting

"We play baseball for Nevada State," Tyler explained as he drove. "And we just so happen to have a game today." We pulled up to a red light and Tyler turned to me. "You go to school?" I looked down at my lap. "I used to. At Brighton," I told them, referring to another Vegas college a few miles away. I'd only finished freshman year before Kevin quit paying my tuition.

Joey whistled. "You mean you're already graduated?" I looked out the window at the dry landscape, trying to form an answer. "No." I heard Joey tilt forward in his seat and his breath lightly tickled my neck. "But...." He paused. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" We pulled up to another red light. "19." Tyler and Joey both shrieked. "What?!" I nodded. Tyler, being the nosy one, began questioning me. "But why aren't you still in school? Are you a dropout? Do you live somewhere now? Are you--" Joey suddenly spoke from the back of the car. "Leave her alone, Twix."

joey

We were already late by the time we got to the stadium, thanks to a combo of Tyler's bad driving and the fact that we had a bit of a.. delay leaving my apartment. I knew Ty was gonna ask me about Asting being at my house, and sure enough, as soon as we sent her up into the stands he cornered me. "Dude, really?!" He exclaimed, giving me a sideways glance as we walked to the clubhouse. "You went all the way back out in the middle of the night to find her?!" I slowly nodded. "And why is that a problem?"

We reached our lockers, that may I note were side by side, and Tyler slammed his bag down. "I dunno.. maybe because I thought I made it kinda obvious I wanted this one? But noooo, Joey Rickard always has to come in and be the hero. But you know what Rick? It gets old sometimes." He grabbed a glove from his locker and stormed out of the room.

asting

I sat in the stands, scrolling through my messages on my phone trying to find someone to text. Someone that could come get me, take me out of this awful situation, make sure I wasn't being a burden on Joey. "HEY! ASTING!" Someone called. I looked up to see Tyler clamoring over into the stands from the field. He came running up one of the aisles and over to me, plopping down in the chair next to mine. He was breathing heavily, gripping the glove in his hand so tightly his knuckles were white.

"I done fucked up, Asting." Tyler sighed, taking his hat off. I turned to him, then back out at the field, looking for Joey to be out warming up. "What happened?" He shrugged, and I couldn't help but smile as I looked at his gangly 6'5" frame trying to fit in these stadium seats. "I think I just made Joey hate me." He paused, waiting for me to speak, but I had no idea how to reply. "I mean, I didn't mean to. Like, I wasn't thinking and I just went off on him. I'm so screwed."

I put my hand on his arm. "I'm sure he doesn't hate you Ty." He shrugged again. "I dunno." We both looked out to the field and my eyes immediately landed on Joey who was now out stretching. "Go apologize. That's the only thing you can do. And if he doesn't accept it then that's his problem, not yours." Tyler smiled at me, his green eyes sparkling. "Wow, you're right. How are you so smart like that?" I shrugged. "You learn stuff by watching people, ya know?" He nodded, unfolding his long legs and standing up.

"Thanks for the advice Asting. I'm glad Joey went back out to find you last night." A shiver went through my body. Yeah I'm glad he found me too... I resisted smirking as I thought of this morning. Tyler began walking off. "I'll see ya, okay? Don't get in too much trouble staying at Joey's!" He shot me a mischievous grin before climbing back over onto the field.

a/n -- okay tyler is me tbh